Our Falling Stars
by T0P
Summary: In an attempt to stall the impending Fusion menace, Earth sends satellites armed with their most powerful warriors and deadliest tech deep into space, praying they will return when they are needed most. To save its future, Earth has invested all it has into its past and present. Years pass, and the satellites finally start returning to Earth. But is there anything left to save?
1. So Long As I Can Keep An Eye On Him

Whenever Eddy needed to think, he went to the junkyard. The view wasn't pretty, and the place smelled even worse than it looked, but there was something about it that kept his head clear. Nostalgia, he ventured. Lately, he'd spent many nights snoozing in the trunk of an old van he kept parked at the crest of the junkyard's tallest spire of scrap metal. The van had a nice, cushy waterbed built into the trunk, and a well-stocked fridge to boot. It was a good place to go when you needed some space. He settled into the driver's seat and cracked open a bottle of pop against a few screws poking through the shattered gearshift. Placing his legs against the steering wheel, Eddy rolled down the window with his empty hand and stared at the stars. A great, quivering mass of green and red bubbled menacingly against the skyline. It seemed to be getting closer by the day.

Eddy drained his pop in one labored swig. Not feeling particularly satisfied, he snapped open the glove compartment and fished around for some loose candy. He frowned. He had been so busy this week, he had forgotten to stock up. Now he was down to his last jawbreaker. He thought about digging in, but something held him back. Instead, he settled into the guts of his seat and nibbled on some crushed peppermints instead. They weren't very good. When peppermints sit for too long, they get awfully chalky. He closed his eyes and tried to dream of better sweets. Just before sleep overtook him, there was a knock at the passenger door. Eddy nudged the door open with his feet. He didn't open his eyes. He didn't need to.

"This seat taken?" A young man in a knit cap and knobby knees stepped inside and plopped into the passenger seat, not bothering to wait for his friend's reply.

"No, as a matter of fact, it ain't. I figured you'd be coming along pretty soon, so I unlocked the door for ya." Eddy felt something heavy fall into his lap. He opened his eyes and flared his nostrils. A big bag of candy was nestled in between his knees. He licked his lips, and took the bag in his hands. Then he frowned. "They out of jawbreakers?"

"Afraid so. More and more stuff is being rationed these days, and I was late to grab a ticket." His friend folded his arms into his lap and smiled. "But thanks to my connections within the brain trust, I was able to make off with some of these beauties."

Eddy raised a piece of candy to his nose and sniffed it. Sugar-free lemon drops hardly qualified as "beauties" in his book, but they were better than the peppermints he had been sucking on earlier. He shoved a handful down his throat and grumbled his thanks. He passed the rest to his friend, who took just one. He wedged the candy carefully between his teeth and bit down hard, crushing the lemon drop in one swift bite. The two boys sat in silence, chewing their candy and watching the stars. They drained the bag in minutes. The boy in the knit cap folded the bag into neat little squares and then tucked it underneath his seat. He turned to his friend. Eddy sucked on one last lemon drop, his eyes fixed against the glowing green blob staining their skyline. It made for one ugly moon.

"So...when's he goin' up?"

"The day after tomorrow. The brain trust agrees it is best if we get them all off planet before that thing gets any closer." Eddy's eyes narrowed, but they remained locked on target. His friend waited long enough for Eddy to collect his thoughts, and then continued. "If we launch the day after tomorrow, we can slingshot them all around that thing before it has a chance to grab them. The plan is to bury them at the very back of the Milky Way, somewhere they won't be found."

"You really think that's for the best, Double D? You make it sound like we're runnin away." The boy in the knit cap nodded slowly. He thought about telling Eddy he was the one who suggested the early launch, but decided to keep quiet.

"I do. He'll be safer that way. They all will." The way Eddy managed to cross both his arms and legs at the same time told him he didn't agree. Double D smiled gently and tried to coax some sympathy out of his friend. "He always wanted to be an astronaut, you know."

"He ain't an astronaut."

"I didn't say he was. I think what he's something way cooler than that." This made Eddy smile a little. At least they could agree on something.

"Where is he now?"

"In stasis, underground," Double D replied, pointing to the city lights reflected in the van's rear view mirror. "Dexter and his crew wanted to run some last minute tests, just to make sure when the time comes, all systems are go." Eddy's eyes flickered.

"So why ain't you there watchin' him?"

"I trust Dexter to behave himself," Double D answered calmly, folding his arms in a proud, know-it-all kind of way. "Besides, he knows better than to go tinkering with anything I've set my hands on."

Eddy shifted in his seat and massaged his headrest with clenched fists. He couldn't seem to get comfortable. Double D gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.

"You'll still have a chance to see him off, you know." Eddy perked up. His voice cracked with a cautious optimism unbecoming of his usual cocky disposition.

"That right? Cuz I heard rumors -

"Mandark fought to get them up today, but Numbuh Two and Utonium weren't having any of it. They've got a few close friends going up too, so there's no way they were going to let them go without saying farewell." This brightened Eddy's mood tremendously. He never liked Mandark. Then he tackled the elephant in the room.

"When they comin' back?"

Double D didn't answer. Eddy raked his fingernails against the steering wheel and tapped the brakes, bracing himself for an answer. A minute passed in silence.

"You don't know, do ya?"

Double D shook his head.

"That all depends on a lot of things, Eddy. And they're all things we don't know yet."

"Give me an estimate, then. I wanna know." Double D inhaled sharply and went to work crunching numbers on an invisible calculator only he could see. Eddy watched him work with unblinking eyes, as though he was trying to think the answer he wanted into existence. Double D lowered the last imaginary decimal point into place with his thumb and mulled over his figures. He knew if the brain trust found out he'd shared this info with a civilian, he'd land in a heap of trouble. But a part of him couldn't help but spill his guts. He didn't like keeping secrets, especially from his best friends. Deep down, he knew it was selfish, but for once in his life, he didn't care. He wanted to share his burden. He cleared his throat and tapped the windowsill, Eddy's signal to pay close attention.

"The satellites are rigged to return to Earth if seven years pass without contact with Dex Labs. We can call them back one at a time whenever we want, but we want them in space for at least a year after the moon makes landfall." Eddy looked very confused.

"I don't get why we even hafta send them into space in the first place. Why not just keep them here? Isn't that why you and the rest of the trust has worked your fingers to the bone? So we can protect ourselves when that thing does touch down?" Double D shrugged his shoulders and offered Eddy a humbling smile. He knew he wouldn't take it, but it was all he had.

"Things have gotten more complicated since we drew those blueprints."

"How complicated?" Eddy placed his knees on the dash and leaned in close. Double D could smell the lemon candy on his hot breath. "You better know I ain't gonna stop askin' questions till you tell me what I wanna know." Double D tapped the glass again. Eddy returned to his seat. Explaining their current situation in terms Eddy could understand would be tricky. Inside his brain, Double D paced back and forth.

"We have reason to believe the entities living on that planet are parasitic." Eddy raised his eyebrows. What an underwhelming answer.

"So what? They're like tapeworms or something?"

"Not tapeworms, exactly, no. Something much worse than that." While Double D was impressed Eddy knew what a parasite was, he still didn't feel like his friend was any closer to understanding the gravity of their situation. He stared at a few movie posters plastered against the back of the van through their reflections in the side-view mirrors. Then, the answer came to him.

"Remember how the robots in _Robot Rebel Ranch_ used to be cowboys, but had their brains stolen by evil machines?" Eddy nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, we think the creatures living on that big green planet are capable of doing something similar. And not just with people. Machines too. So we don't want our trump cards lying around when the hostiles make landfall." Double D clapped his hands and pointed to his friend with all ten of his fingers. "Does that make sense?" Eddy nodded back to him, looking both enlightened and a little bit terrified. "We thought about just burying them real deep underground, but when we took a closer look at the moon, we realized that green goop has gobbled it up whole, right down it is core. So sticking them all in a bunker somewhere was a gamble." Double D's eyes drifted back towards the green mass. The clouds had cleared now, so it was easier to see now more than ever before. A faint, green light pulsed venomously from its center, casting out the starlight coloring the night sky. "We figure if they are out drifting in space, they'll be almost impossible for the enemy to track." Double D felt satisfied with his explanation, but Eddy seemed less convinced than ever any of this was a good idea.

"But what about food and water and stuff like that? And what about his family? Does Sarah know?"

"Each satellite has enough resources to sustain one person for a decade, so even if the satellites stay up longer than planned, we have a window of three extra years to retrieve them." Double D placed both hands on his friend's shoulders and squeezed tightly. "Ed's just going to take a long nap. And when he wakes up, he'll shoot back to Earth with his killer armor and state-of-the art weapons and demolish whatever monsters we haven't already sent packing." He flossed his fingers against Eddy's hairline and smiled. "We've had the support of all their families since the project started, so there are no problems there. They've been expecting this day to come for a long, long time now. It'll probably be a relief for most of them when their loved ones are finally off planet."

Eddy went quiet for almost half an hour after that. He had come to the junkyard to clear his thoughts, but it hadn't done him much good. Now, more than ever before, his brain was spilling over with things he didn't want to think about. Double D waited patiently for his friend to come to terms with the reality of their situation. Eventually, Eddy found his voice again.

"How long can I visit him tomorrow?"

"You can spend the whole day with him, if you like. I know that's what I'll be doing." Eddy raised his knees to his chest and gave himself a hug. He could feel his heart beating through his clothes. He licked his lips. He tasted salt-water.

"You know, those cheap lemon drops of yours left a pretty bad taste in my mouth, Sock-Head." Double D smiled at his friend apologetically.

"I'll be sure to get something better next time."

"You better. They tasted bunk." Double D reached into his pocket and then shoved his hands into Eddy's lap. His friend jumped out of his seat, hitting his flat head against the hood of the van.

"Wazzat for, Sock-Head?" Eddy grumbled, nursing a crop of knots swelling against the base of his neck. "And why you touchin me like that?" Double D pulled back his hands and rested his head on his chin. He was smiling.

"I don't know, Eddy. Maybe I just wanted to do something nice to make up for those lousy lemon-drops." Eddy glared at his friend and then his pants. A little silver box was sitting in his lap. He scooped it up and pressed it against his face. It was very cold and smelled like cologne. Eddy rolled the box between his hands and rapped his knuckles against it. He shot Double D an amused look.

"You seriously just give me flask?"

"Just open it up," Double D insisted, tapping his fingers against the windowsill. "Quickly, now. Before I change my mind."

Eddy did as he was told. A little glass cylinder stared back at him. It was wrapped in the same silver finish as the box, and was just as cold to the touch. Eddy weighed it in his palms. It didn't look especially valuable. Eddy's interest level was dropping fast.

"What is it?"

"It's a telescope," Double D said simply, taking Eddy's hands in his own and pointing the lens out the window. "I want you to look into it."

"Like this?"

"Yes, just like that. See that big cluster of stars up there?"

"The ones that look like a big shiny bucket?"

"That's the one. What do you think that is?"

Eddy paused and adjusted his grip.

"Geez, Sockhead, I dunno. What the heck is it supposed to be?"

"That's the big dipper."

Eddy stared at Double D like he had just turned wood into gold and then crammed the lens against his eye socket. He seemed quite enthralled now that he knew what he was looking at, but when he tore his eyes away to scratch his nose, it was obvious he didn't know why it was supposed to be important. Double D traced his fingers against the windshield and gave it one more hard tap.

"In order to track where our satellites go, we assigned each person a constellation. After Ed goes up, his satellite will be somewhere in that general direction, right under the Big Dipper." He heard the telescope drop to the floor and then Eddy scramble to pick it back up. "Whenever you want to check in on him, just look for those stars. He may not be able to wave back, but I'm sure if you look for him every night, he'll have sweet dreams."

Eddy cupped the telescope in trembling hands. He stared at it, and then his lips spread into a smile. His palms closed around the telescope tightly, and he hugged the device close to his beating heart. His seat was very wet now.

"Well, if 'ol Ed's got me lookin' after him every night…then I guess he'll have to try a little harder than normal to get himself killed up there." Inside the van, someone sniffled loudly. "So long as I can keep an eye on him...you got my permission to send him into space." The radio clicked on, and the sounds of classic rock flooded the van.

"I'm going to turn this up pretty loud. Is that okay with you, Eddy?" Eddy nodded slowly, burying his head in one hand. He placed the other around Double D's thin shoulders. Double D did the same, placing his own arms around Eddy's thick neck.

"He's coming, back. Eddy. Even if we got to go out there ourselves and drag him back, Ed's coming home someday." Eddy chuckled to himself, half laughing, half crying.

"He'd better. Cuz if he don't, I swear I'll kill ya."


	2. Heavy Like A Loaded Gun

When Planet Fuse suddenly appeared over the Townsville skyline three years ago, no one really knew what to make of their big green new neighbor. It wasn't the prettiest thing to look at during daylight hours, but the green light it put off every night had an almost warm, welcoming glow to it. It didn't help that it showed up Christmas Eve, either. Kids just thought Santa Claus had traded in his red sleigh for a shiny green bowling ball. The planet didn't appear hostile, at least not in the beginning. Most adults trusted their local weather forecasters, who insisted the puke-colored mass was just an abnormally large comet slowly working its way around Earth's orbit. When those same adults looked up at the sky a few days later to greet the New Year, only to find the moon gone and one of Planet Fuse's ugly, gangrenous satellites sitting in its place, they grew curious. Then came the meteors. And shortly after the meteors, the first wave of alien hostiles.

It was hard to tell which fell to Earth faster; the meteorites or the pandemonium they brought with them.

In an effort to combat the alien menace and concoct an appropriate counter-offensive, several organizations sprung up, seemingly overnight. Most were small-time, minute-men style militias. A few won government funding. Most didn't. A handful scooped up some very talented individuals eager to ply their trades and contribute to the forthcoming battles. Not long after the dust settled and these organizations started gathering more and more support, mysterious invitations started arriving in their mail-boxes and emails.

 _To save our futures and protect our present, we are assembling our world's brightest minds. Your talents and ambitious endeavors have captured our attention, and we would welcome the opportunity to invite you into our little think tank. Won't you join us? We'll throw in a free thinking cap if you do._

 _Kind regards,_

 _The Brain Trust_

Founded by the global technology conglomerate Dex Labs Inc. and headquartered in a secret laboratory overlooking Townsville's blackened skyline, the Brain Trust quickly jumped to the pole position in the race against Planet Fuse. This was only natural, of course, because the Trust only hired out the world's best and the brightest. Recently, however, in an attempt to pump some new blood into the stagnating Trust, they brought in some lesser known contributors. The maverick thinkers behind this initiative put their careers on the line to make this kind of radical experimentation possible, and so far, their willingness to invest in up-and-coming young geniuses was paying off. Since flushing some older Trust members out and bringing in a few new ones, the organization was closer than ever to achieving their ultimate goal; launching a long-term counter-offensive against their not-so-nice alien neighbors.

However, as history has proven countless times before, it is only when you are on the cusp of achieving something great that you are able to sniff out the troublemakers hiding in your midst. Miles above Townsville Square, tucked behind a nightmarish cage of vaulted doors and cutting-edge technological enterprises, trouble was brewing.

"I told you we shouldn't have let him go into the lab all alone! It's gonna take all night to figure out what he's done. This is his way of delaying the launch, I just know it! He just doesn't want to say good-bye to that walking disability he calls a best friend!" Mandark beat his fists against the table, spilling his coffee and staining his polka-dot bowtie a toxic shade of brown. The ensuing hissing reminded Blossom an awful lot of a very angry, very ugly snake.

"Mandark, hush! We don't even know if he did anything yet! He could have just been running regular maintenance. You know how much of a worrywart he is. He probably just went to tighten some screws." She stared holes in the back of her colleague's chair. Mandark kicked his long legs against the floor. His chair spun on its axis. He was determined not to meet her piercing gaze. Blossom crossed her arms in frustration and turned to the tiny man toiling behind her. "What do you think, Dexter? Double D meant well, didn't he?" Dexter didn't answer. He was too busy pacing circles around a particularly gorgeous looking armor set, suspending from the ceiling by a thick, marble crucifix. Wicked looking runes and long, complex equations were carved into its bolts and every time Dexter investigated them with his fingers, they seemed to glow an angry red color. The set's components were bound tight against their monochrome pedestals by a whirring slurry of wires, screws, and snow-white bandages. The chest plate boasted broad, ivory plated shoulder pads and its velvet leggings and alabaster shoes swept gently from side to side as he passed. Each piece was inlaid with blinking lights and sleek censors; all tinted red and tempered to glisten just like gemstones. Dexter took the ruby-red gauntlets in his hands and plied his palms against their pearlescent fingers. The joints creaked before snapping stiffly back into place. Dexter nibbled the notches of his favorite wrench and licked his lips.

"Non…non, he's definitely done zumzing," he wagered, weighing the gauntlets in his hands. "Zese pieces…zey definitely feel different from before." He shrugged his shoulders and returned the gauntlets to their pedestals. He punched a few digits into his wristwatch. The crucifix rose soundlessly into the ceiling and disappeared into a rolling sea of brilliantly colored wires. A few floors above them, something very big and very heavy slammed shut. A great racket, like steam being flushed from a piping hot train engine, echoed throughout the laboratory. And then, just as Dexter returned to his seat, all was still. He pressed his thumbs against his eyes and massaged his temples. "I just can't deduze what exactly it iz he'z done…"

"Maybe he was adjusting the fit," Blossom suggested, pressing her own thumbs together. "Ed's a pretty big guy. He'll probably grow a whole lot in stasis. Double D probably just didn't want his friend to be cramped. He's not gonna have much space in that tiny satellite as it is." Behind her, she heard Mardark stomp his feet loudly against the linoleum floor. His spinning chair came to a screeching halt. Two thick, black skid marks stained the tiles beneath his spindly legs.

"Well, I for one think he's up to no good! He's been working his own, weird little angles ever since he started coming to our meetings." Dexter's eyes flickered.

"You ackchually believe Edd would do zumzing to jeopardize ze launch?"

"No…" Mandark replied hastily, rubbing his hands together. "I don't think he'd try and sabotage it…he's a loyalist…that I'm sure of." Mandark closed his eyes and crossed his arms and pondered a deep, meaningful ponder. "But I do think he's got a hidden agenda somewhere. And don't either of you tell me I'm crazy for suspecting he's got skeletons in his closet."

Dexter suddenly became aware of just how filthy his glasses were. Blossom was paying an undue amount of attention to the lights dangling from the laboratory ceiling. Though neither would admit it out loud, Mandark had a point. When the Brain Trust was founded in the months following the first appearances of Planet Fuse, Double D was not among those chosen to formulate a strategy to counter the impending alien menace. This was, of course, only because he'd adamantly refused each and every offer they made him. He only joined the Brain Trust after Ed was drafted into the military three years ago. Before then, even a personal invitation from Dexter himself hadn't been enough to coax Edd into letting the other members of the Trust give him as much as a tour of their facilities. Each time he turned them down, instead politely encouraging them to consider other "more qualified" advisors. And even after joining their ranks, he'd kept his distance, only showing up to either work in the lab or talk strategy with Dexter in private. He hadn't been rude or disrespectful, but he'd been aloof, and when you are part of a council that exists to save the world, aloofness isn't always a welcome character trait. Had his few contributions not been so utterly game-changing, he'd probably been voted out a long time ago.

"Absentee or not, you can't deny he's more than earned his keep," Blossom said, trying her hardest to guide Mandark's attitude back towards something resembling agreeable. "Half of the deadliest armor and weapons sets chilling in storage right now only exist because of his insights." Blossom blushed and massaged her cheeks with both hands. "I can crunch numbers faster than anyone here, but when it comes to designing weird, over-the-top protection measures, you can't deny the boy's crazy smart." She laid her head on the cold table and closed her eyes. She was in dire need of a nap.

"He's worried. About what may happen after the chosen militants return to Earth." Dexter dropped his wrench. Blossom stifled a surprised hiccup and lifted her head. Mandark scowled. In the very back of the lab, perched atop a cache of discarded scrap metal, stood a tall, muscular man dressed in an immaculate white kimono. An oriental style teacup was pinched between his calloused fingers. His katana hung from his sash, sleeping soundly in its sheath, its keen edge hidden from the world. He placed his cup against a pyramid of loose screws and knit his fingers together. He bowed his head. As he did, his oily topknot bounced to and fro."Edd is a valuable ally because he sees the future and has the courage to try and change his worst case scenario." Whether he realized it or not, Jack had a strange way of perking people up. His three juniors stood at attention, eager to hear what wisdom the samurai had to share with them today. When the Brain Trust was formed, Samurai Jack had been a shoe-in from the very start. Jack wasn't book smart, but his experience on the field of battle combined with his stoic, thoughtful disposition made him an invaluable military asset. He was the closest thing the Trust had to the perfect storm; Jack had the brains, the brawn, and maybe even a little something extra.

"Ah…Jack…I almost forgot you were sleeping back zere." Dexter sounded a little relieved. He clicked another button on his wrist watch. A dozen robots rocketed into the room, trays of food and drink teetering from their metal arms. "Please, eat zumfing, vill you? I understand meditation iz important to you, but I azure you, once you get into space, you'll miss the flavors and warmth of a home cooked meal." Jack smiled and pinched a few crackers from the closest robot.

"You are very kind, Dexter. Do not worry. I plan on enjoying myself quite a bit before my long sleep." Mandark wheeled himself over to Jack and helped himself to what was left of Jack's crackers. He rested his arms against Jack's scrap-metal throne and shot him a series of devious glares. While Mandark did hold a tremendous amount of respect for Jack, he wasn't above teasing him. Mandark wasn't above teasing anyone.

"Don't you leave us hanging, Jack. What exactly did you mean by that last statement?" Jack stared at Mandark and chewed his crackers in a slow, perplexed manner.

"I'm…sorry?"

Mandark rose from his chair and poked Jack's chipmunk cheeks gently with his gloved fingers. "That thing you said about Edd changing his worst case scenario. What's he think going to happen when you militants get back on Earth that's got him so scared?" Jack flicked his wrists, making Mandark jump to the side and shut his eyes in surprise. When he opened them, the crackers he stole from Jack were back in Jack's cupped palms. Jack chewed through his prizes very slowly, almost succeeding into tricking Mandark into believing he didn't hear him. It wasn't until after he drained the last drop of tea from his cup that he spoke.

"What do you all predict will happen…when we return to Earth?" Dexter, Blossom, and Mandark all looked at Jack with equally confused expressions.

"After zey return to Earth…vell…best case scenario, you all return to Earth and use the technology stored inside your zatellite to eliminate the few fusions we haven't already neutralized." Blossom and Mandark nodded in agreement, Blossom eagerly, Mandark begrudgingly. Jack busied himself preparing a second cup of tea.

"And how do you expect our worst-case scenario would carry out?" Silence from the peanut gallery. The Earth's worst case scenario was something they had all considered, of course. They needed to know what it was so they could plan around it. In fact, it was something they had discussed at length just today. But they didn't like talking about it unless work demanded that they do. Discussing it outside of their private meetings was taboo. Jack bowed his head and sipped his tea. "If you think our worst-case scenario is our militants returning to an empty planet, I would politely disagree with your assessment." Mandark's upper lipped curled, but he seemed to understand where Jack's argument was going. Jack continued to sip his tea. Its exotic perfume was spilling out into the lab now, making them feel both at ease and jittery at the same time. "I believe our truly worst-case scenario would be one where our militants return to a fight that is not yet won…and then, in the scramble to secure the resources necessary to protect their loved ones, we amongst ourselves." Blossom nervously adjusted her skirt. She couldn't look Jack in the eyes anymore.

"Do you think that would actually happen, Jack?" Jack gave a slow, reverent nod.

"I'm sure it is no secret there are factions of our own that would stand to gain much if they were to…inherit the technology locked inside the satellites, yes?"

"But ve've pledged an oath," Dexter insisted, clenching his fists. "Haven't ve all agreed to put azide our own zelfish interests so everyone going up has a planet vorth coming back to?" For the first time since the conversation began, Dexter and Mandark locked eyes. They nodded at one another in rare display of mutual respect. Jack acknowledged them both with a curt nod, but he was not swayed.

"A promise made during times of peace rarely holds water when the drums of war start to sound, Dexter." Dexter bowed his head this time, seemingly preparing himself to accept Jack's insights as truths. "Edd seems to understand this. The few words I have shared with him in private have me convinced." Jack placed his empty cup between his sandals and began to stretch his legs butterfly style. "So, I'd imagine he has taken some precautions to make sure that if the worst happens, his friend will be equipped with the tools he needs to come out on top."

"I zuppose I cannot fault him for wanting to protect the people he cares about." Dexter's eyes drifted toward the vault behind him. Mandark's did the same. "Perhaps I should conzider taking your whizdom to heart, Jack." Jack shrugged his shoulders and dismounted his pile of spire of scrap. He adjusted his robes and stretched his stiff neck. His wooden sandals clicked ominously against the floor as he moved towards the laboratory's exit.

"If I might share one more piece advice with you three, I think it would be this; treat the young man who will be wearing that armor with equal parts care and caution. I trust Edd has all of our best interests at heart, but the only time he seems to invested in his work is when it involves his friend." Dexter's eyes remained fixed on the vault behind him.

"Ah…zo, you've noticed that as vell, Jack?" Jack didn't nod, but he did smile.

"If his friend were to occupy any significant danger, I believe we can expect Edd to behave in certain…unorthodox ways. Please be sure the rest of the Trust prepares for that." The door to the lab clicked open, and after a low bow, Jack disappeared behind a swirling torrent of vaulted doors, leaving his colleagues alone with their thoughts. Blossom looked to Dexter, apprehension clouding her amber eyes.

"When you examined that armor earlier…the armor that Edd built…you said you noticed something was different about it than before?" Blossom took a step forward and stooped down to place one hand on Dexter's diminutive shoulder. "What was it?" Dexter frowned started scrubbing his glasses furiously with the lapels of his lab coat.

"Zey felt…so much heavier zan zey did before…"

All three young geniuses turned their eyes to the ceiling vault where Edd's custom armor was locked away. The lights blinked off and on indiscriminately, but apart from the occasional loose spark and settling of the metal, all was quiet. Regardless, since Jack's departure, an air of unease had settled over the laboratory. Somewhere, tucked behind the cluster of wires and gears and blinking lights, they couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them.

"It felt…heavy." Blossom swallowed hard. "Heavy like…heavy like a stone?" Dexter shook his head.

"Non," he said quietly. "Heavy like…like a loaded gun."


	3. S' for Shivers

"You all packed?"

"You bet, Eddy!"

"You excited?"

"You bet, Eddy!"

A long pause.

"You scared?"

A longer pause.

"Yeah…I'm - I'm pretty scared, Eddy."

Eddy looped his fingers around his good buddy's jacket and smacked him upside the head. Ed grunted affectionately and bowed his head so Eddy could scratch his neck. Eddy obliged.

"You're smarter than I thought, Ed," Eddy said, raking his nails down Ed's pimply scalp. Ed beat his legs against the bench like a dog longing for a belly rub. "If you told me you weren't, I'd have been the one who was scared." Behind them, a family of songbirds nestled into their tree for an afternoon nap. Townsville Park was empty. Unusual, considering the gorgeous weather. A lone cyclist trudged along a few blocks up the road, but apart from him, they were alone. Two bag lunches dozed in the shade beneath the bench. Every time the wind blew, it carried with it the thick, sweet scent of a double-decker peanut butter sandwich. Both boys rested their heads against the bench. Eddy kept scratching Ed's. "You know, it was a real pain, hiking all the way out here. Buses are expensive." Ed blushed and kicked his knees in a shallow, guilty fashion. "Why didn't you come home to Peach Creek for a little while?"

"Military says I gotta stay put, Eddy. I didn't wanna, but Double D said I should." Ed laid his fingers in his lap and began to pluck at his gangly hangnails. "So I stayed."

"Military ain't gonna spank you if you run off every now and again," Eddy chided him, increasing the pressure on his neck. "You're worth too much to em."

"I don't wanna upset Double D." Eddy's fingers stopped.

"You're too nice, Ed. You know that?"

"I'm sorry, Eddy."

"It's cool, lumpy." Eddy bent over and grabbed both their lunches. He weighed them both in his hands, frowned, and then passed the bigger bag to Ed. "That's why I like ya." Ed didn't take it. He looked like he wanted to, though.

"I'm sorry, Eddy," Ed said waving his hands. "I'm really not hungry right now."

"Liar," Eddy said, shoving the bag towards him. "You're always hungry." At that moment, Ed's stomach growled, just as determined to prove him wrong. Ed clasped his hands over his gut and raised his finger to his lips in a vain attempt to shush his hungry belly. Eddy stared at him, still holding both bags. Then it occurred to him. He lowered both their lunches back into the shade beneath the bench and scowled.

"They ain't lettin you eat before you go up, are they?" Ed shook his head and started kicking his feet again. He didn't meet Eddy's eyes.

"Nope. Everyone else can eat. Cept me." Eddy's eyes flickered. He was already rehearsing a forthcoming conversation with Double D inside his brain. But he didn't dare say anything out loud. Instead, he rested his chin in his hands, shut his eyes, and sighed.

"Well, then I guess I ain't gonna eat either. Shame too. I made those sandwiches special." Ed's stomach growled again. Eddy changed the subject. He raised his chin a bit and stared at the blue sky. Two planes crisscrossed overhead, cutting two, thick cloudy vapor-trails across the Townville's biggest skyscrapers. "So…space, eh? Final frontier and all that." He turned to his friend. "You excited to see it?" Ed nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure am, Eddy! I bet its real pretty up there." He pulled his jacket around his broad shoulders and pretended to shiver. "I hear it's really, really cold up there too, so I've been practicing my shivers." Eddy raised his eyebrows.

"That right? Lemme see." Ed wrapped his jacket around his shoulders even tighter than before and shivered for all his worth. Eddy narrowed his eyes and scratched his chin, then pretended to scribble a letter grade on an imaginary sheet of paper. He passed it to Ed, who took his invisible review in nervous hands. He shut his eyes tight. He couldn't bear to look at it.

"Just tell me what it is, Eddy," Ed trembled, shivering harder than ever. "Grades and me don't get along very well." Eddy chuckled and pretended to swipe the report out of Ed's hands, shoving it back in his face and pointing at it with his finger.

"Don't sweat it. Gave ya an 'S'". Ed stopped shivering and perked up his ears. He snatched back his report and held it close.

"I got an 'S'?" He suddenly looked very depressed. He kicked up a cloud of dirt with his feet. His lower lip began to quiver. "That's even lower in the alphabet than normal." Eddy jumped to his feet and smacked Ed hard on the back.

"An 'S' ain't bad, lunkhead! It's good!" Ed smiled.

"Is that really true, Eddy?"

"Obviously," Eddy said, crossing his arms and nodding his head emphatically. "You got an 'S' for…er-" He paused to think. Then he snapped his fingers. "You got an 'S' for 'shivers'!" Ed's face lit up. He clapped his hands. He had never received such a high mark in his life.

"You mean it?" Ed pried himself off the bench and danced a jig around a nearby tree. "I can't wait to tell my folks! They'll be so proud!" And then he stopped. It didn't take Eddy long to figure out why. The stiff, pained look painted across his friend's face told him everything. Ed's gorilla arms hung limp at his knees. He plopped to the ground and sat against the tree. He looked utterly miserable. Eddy sat down beside him and started scratching his neck again. Their bagged lunches stayed put beneath the bench, totally forgotten. "Why do I gotta go into space, Eddy?" Ed turned to Eddy, eyes hungry for answers. Ed's stomach growled again. Behind lips spread into a comforting smile, Eddy grit his teeth. It was bad enough he couldn't buy his best friend lunch.

"I don't know…if there's anyone in the world who can tell ya that, Ed." Ed's eyes shimmered in the afternoon sun.

"Not even Double D?" Eddy frowned and shook his head. He stared back at the benches and their discarded lunches.

"Double D doesn't know as much as he lets on. Besides, he only does what the Brain Trust tells him to do."

"That's not true!" Ed exclaimed, practically shoving is head down Eddy's open mouth. Eddy jumped a little. Ed stared back at him, bright eyed and looking very enthusiastic all of a sudden. Eddy adjusted himself, gently pushed Ed away, and settled back into the grass.

"Oh yeah? How's that?" Ed's face clouded over again, like he was remembering something he'd prefer to have forgotten. He tapped his fingers together and shivered. He wasn't pretending this time.

"One time…when I was being fitted for some special clothes…the Trust started to poke me with all kinds of sharp things. They made me sit on this really big and scary table. It was really cold and it smelled like my doctor's office. I hated it. But they told me it was for the project, so I let them poke me and take my blood, and I took whatever pills they gave me." He hesitated for a moment, and then pressed on. "One time, they even made me pee in a cup. I didn't like that one bit." Eddy clenched his fists so hard he nearly snapped his thumbs. He could feel his heart pumping out something hot and molten and very toxic. As it spread through his body, he could almost see his own temperature stealing rising. "When Double D found out what they were doing-" Ed's voice trailed off. He looked very scared. "He got mad. Really mad. I've never seen Double D mad before. Not like that. What he said to them scared me more than the table and the needles and all those weird, smelly pills. I don't know what he told them cuz he used a lot of big words I don't know, but they seemed to get real scared of him too." Ed shivered again and shut his eyes. When he opened them again, a little bit of his usual cheer seemed to have returned. "After that, they stopped poking me. I still had to come in for tests and stuff, but they never did anything that made me hurt ever again."

The two of them sat under the shade of that tree for a long time. Ed looked exhausted. When he was sure his friend had fallen asleep, Eddy rose to his feet and retrieved one of their lunch bags from beneath the bench. He sat back down beside Ed and crinkled the bag loudly. Ed lurched forward a little, awoken by the smell of food and the crinkling of the bag. He watched Eddy's fingers worm their way through the paper bag with wide, curious eyes.

"You gonna eat, Eddy?" Eddy shook his head.

"Sure ain't. I'm no saint, but I ain't mean enough to eat in front of hungry little science experiment like you." Eddy pulled something large and round out from the very bottom of the bag and held it up to the sun. "I'm just givin you my goin away present a little early, is all." He passed the ball to Ed, who took it in trembling hands. Whatever it was, it was hidden underneath a coat of shimmering wrapping paper and swaths of poorly applied masking tape. Ed stared at it, and then shook it. It didn't make any noise. He tried to bounce it, but Eddy quickly grabbed his arms and told him to cut it out. Not sure what to do with it, Ed placed it between his legs and waited for further instructions.

"Can I open it, Eddy?" Eddy closed his eyes and shrugged.

"Don't matter to me. May wanna wait until later, though." He raised both of his eyebrows and shot Ed an aggravated glance. "So long as you think the braniacs won't take it from you, you can open it whenever you want." Ed shook his head from side to side and the stashed the present inside his pockets.

"I won't let em! No matter what they tell me, I won't let em take my present." Eddy smiled approvingly and gave his friend a pat on the back.

"You better not. That's the last one I got, and I don't think I'll be getting anymore anytime soon. You best savor it, y'hear?" Ed wasn't sure what Eddy meant by this, but he knew it meant his present was important, so he nodded his head and smiled.

"Thanks a lot, Eddy." Then another sad thought flashed through Ed's tiny brain. "There aren't any birthday parties in space, is there, Eddy?" Eddy shook his head, but the way he smiled back at Ed told him there was nothing to worry about. Eddy reached into his back pocket and dumped a book at Ed's feet. It looked like a very old library book. Several of the pages had been dog-eared and a few might even have been torn out. Ed wasn't sure what to make of it. He couldn't remember the last time he saw Eddy with a book. He picked it up and started to thumb through some of the pages.

"There sure are a lot of pretty pictures in here, Eddy."

"Stars are pretty things to look at, Ed." He waited patiently for Ed to make his way through the whole volume. He didn't stop to red any of the words, but he seemed to spend at least five minutes looking at every single picture he stumbled upon. He was engrossed. At the every back of the book, he came to a very large photograph. Stapled to the page was a large golden bookmark. Ed's eyes lit up and he pressed his face against the picture.

"This one is really cool, Eddy!"

"Oh. The Big Dipper? Yeah, I like that one too."

"Will I get a chance to see something like this way up in space?" Eddy inched closer to his friend and pointed to the constellation with all ten of his fingers. He allowed himself a sly smile.

"What, you didn't know? That's where your goin', stupid." Ed looked fit to burst.

"Really? No way!"

"Yup," Eddy nodded, as though he had deduced this all by himself. "Each and every one of is gettin' assigned a constellation. I guess that's how the braniacs are gonna keep track of you all." He cupped Ed's ear with his palms and whispered. "Don't let this get around, but Sock-Head told me you are gonna be right up in front of that one." Ed squealed like a school girl and stared at the constellation's picture with even more enthusiasm than before. Then his brow furrowed. He carefully moved the bookmark back into position and lowered the book into his lap.

"That's super cool in all, Eddy, but what does that have to do with birthdays?" Eddy smiled again and pointed to a little silver chain hanging from his neck. Hanging from the end was a little silver telescope, just big enough to fit in your pocket. He popped it off its hinge and parked it behind his ears. Then he crossed his arms and made himself real comfy.

"If I'm not too busy, I'll look up into the sky on your birthday, and if you promise to make it worth my while when you come back, I'll sing for ya."

"You…you really mean that, Eddy?"

"Sure do, lumpy. Like I told ya, I like ya. You're a nice guy."

From across the street, they watched a little red bicycle park itself. A young man in a black knit cap stepped off, plugged the parking meter with a few quarters, and started strolling towards them, arms outstretched and ready to hug the first thing that came his way. They both smiled, and rose to their feet. Eddy tucked the book under his arm and broke into a run, telescope dangling loosely from his neck.


End file.
